Staring and Stargazing
by doctoring
Summary: Kevin's infatuation causes him to stare at Edd quite often, wishing he was closer to the dork. Thanks to an extra credit assignment and Edd's new telescope, he's about to get that chance.
1. The Telescope Initiative

Kevin was more than crushing on Edd, he was completely obsessed with the dork.

He spent a good portion of his summer and the current semester staring at Edd. So much so that he was a bit embarrassed just thinking about how much time he has wasted pining after him. But he couldn't help himself. He enjoyed watching the way Edd holds himself in a perpetually professional manner, how hard he works, and those moments where it looks at though Edd was blushing for some reason.

He also found little opportunities to get closer to Edd, such as hanging out at the creek back when the weather was warmer, partnering up with him for group work in the classes they shared together, and inviting him to all the home games, which mostly ended in the rejection. Mostly.

There was that one time Edd said, "I'll see what I can do," and ended up showing up to the game just before halftime. Kevin remembers quite vividly seeing Lumpy stop in the middle of a play to wave at the stands, and then looking up to see Edd trying to shoo him to focus back on the game.

Regardless of all these interactions, Kevin still didn't feel as though they were that close. Kevin knew that each time they had interacted, he was the one to initiate it. It was never by Edd's own volition.

But still, Kevin found himself staring at the dork, wondering what his chances were, wondering how to get closer, wondering if those lips felt as soft as they looked.

He kept his eyes peeled for his personal favorite moment, where Edd had a look of amazement and wonder.

Kevin didn't see that particular look regularly, but it was enough for him to figure out that it happened most often in their biology class. This might explain why Kevin's grade was starting to slip in biology, but in no other class. It wasn't a major drop but having a mid-B when he needed to keep an A average for the program he was in, well, that's enough of a drop to cause concern.

However, Kevin's concern only extended to reading the textbook more closely and moving lab benches so Edd wasn't directly in his line of sight.

Instead, Edd was right next to him, making it harder for him to sneak glances without being obvious, but that doesn't mean he didn't try. This did help his grade, though not by much.

One Friday, the biology teacher announced that there will be a bonus opportunity the following week. "On Monday night, there will be a small meteor shower visible that night, weather permitting. Though it is not technically _directly _related to biology, if you take a picture of the meteor shower, and write a paper on meteors and meteor showers, I will add bonus points to your next exam."

Kevin perked up and quickly started taking notes. At this point, he had the bare minimum for an A, but with this bonus point opportunity, he'll have a bit of wiggle room for the next exam.

Plus, Edd had that look of excitement and wonder at the mention of a meteor shower.

_I'm going to get those bonus points… and another chance to hang with Edd… outside of school and without those other dorks!_

Kevin thought of ways to ask Edd about maybe finding a spot to watch the meteor shower together, you know, for class, but by the end of the school day, he didn't have the words nor the nerves to do so.

. . . . . . .

Saturday afternoon, Kevin awoke from his nap to the sound of the doorbell. When it rang a second time a few moments later, he remembered that his parents were out running errands, meaning there was no one else there to answer the door but him. He debated letting it go unanswered, but eventually found himself getting out of bed and pulling on sweatpants, albeit grumbling the whole time.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Edd walking away, down his driveway.

"Dor-erm, Double D?" Kevin croaked out, voice still tinted with sleep.

Edd spun on his heels, a look of surprise on his face. "Oh, you're home."

Kevin nodded and took a few steps outside to meet Edd halfway. He felt the heat of the sun on his skin, and quickly realized that he was still shirtless. Edd's seen him like this before, after all those times playing in the creek or at Nazz's pool parties. But this was different, and Kevin was starting to feel a bit self-conscious, with the object of his secret affection suddenly showing up while he was in a state of undress.

To make matters worse, the wind picked up, reminding Kevin that winter was rolling in. He shivered and mentally cursed himself for not putting a shirt on before exiting the house. He rubbed at his arms, hoping to calm the goosebumps, and to cover his embarrassment just a bit.

It didn't help that Kevin noticed the way Edd's eyes seem to have trouble finding a place to focus on, and his skin was starting to flush.

_Glad I'm not the only one feeling a bit embarrassed by this._

"One moment," Kevin said, racing back inside for his Letterman. As he strolled back towards Edd, he noticed him fidgeting with the edge of his hat, looking anxious.

When the distance was closed between them, Edd took a deep breath and said, "Kevin, were you interested in that bonus point assignment regarding the-"

"Meteor shower!?" Kevin finished for him, a bit too enthusiastically at the possibility that he might get to hang out with Edd after all. Kevin awkwardly cleared his throat and continued. "Uh, yeah, sure. Um… Why do you ask?"

Edd was bouncing on his heels. "I'm so glad you're so excited for the meteor shower! But I was asking because I just got a new telescope and would like to try it out soon. So, I figured I would ask if you would like to check out some celestial bodies before the meteor shower began."

Kevin tried his damnedest not to think of checking out Edd's "celestial body," but couldn't fight the thoughts and pipes dreams creeping up, preventing him from formulating a coherent answer.

"Would you be interested in something like that?"

Kevin shook himself before nodding. "Uh, yeah, that sounds like fun." Both boys then turned their heads towards the sound of shouting, to see Eddy complaining to Ed about something. "Are the rest of the Eds going to be there to break in the new telescope too?" Kevin tried his best to ask while disguising his disgust at the thought.

Edd shook his head. "No. Eddy and Ed… well… they have other plans. Besides, it's not like Eddy would care about such things and Ed would be likely to break my telescope with his enthusiasm."

Kevin laughed, clapping a hand on Edd's shoulder. "Sounds about right. But yeah, I'm down for doing some stargazing and catching the meteor shower with ya."

Edd tugged at the edge of his hat, as if he struggled with whether or not he should hide his now completely scarlet face. "S-sounds good! I know a good place to, um, to stargaze. Want me to meet you here Monday at 9:30, and we can head over there together?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Edd simply grinned before turning to head to his home.

Kevin watched him walk most of the way there, before Eddy called out to him. Edd paused and looked back over towards Kevin. When their eyes met, Kevin felt that same shock he always feels on the rare occasions Edd catches him staring. Edd quickly looks away before heading over to Eddy.

Kevin composes himself and heads back into his home. As he sits on his bed, wondering if continuing his nap would be worth it, he suddenly realized that Edd had approached him and invited him to hang out, thought for a science and school related purpose.

For once, Edd had initiated.

_Depending on how this goes, I might just have to ask him out… well, maybe not on a date. Can't really jump the gun like that… But at least to hang out again, without any school assignments…_

. . . . . . .

"What do you mean you already have plans!?"

Kevin stopped in the middle of the lane. He turned his head towards the fence by the playground, trying to hear who Eddy was squawking at, disrupting his Sunday afternoon spin on his bike.

"I mean exactly that. I already have plans for Monday night."

At the sound of Edd's voice, Kevin propped his bike up on its kickstand, and moved closer to the fence, trying to peek through the weather-warped wood. He could only make out part of Edd's signature hat just past the jungle gym. Eddy was unfortunately more easily seen, standing in front of Edd without any playground equipment blocking the view.

"But it's the _Director's Cut_, Edd. Added scenes-"

"Added gore and violence and sex and everything else unnecessary. So, I'm sure you'll love it."

"C'mon, sockhead. I can't watch it tonight cause Lumpy just got himself grounded a few minutes ago, so we gotta move the viewing to Monday."

"Then see it Monday, when both of you are free. I'm perfectly fine with missing one movie night."

_Wait, did Double D lie about the other dorks having plans on Monday? Did he just not want to invite them or what?_

Kevin started shuffling down the lane some more, trying to find a better gap through which to see Edd.

Eddy sighed exasperatedly. "What do you got going on, on Monday, that's more important than this."

"I have an assignment to do relating to the stars," Edd said, before walking past Eddy and away from the playground.

Kevin hastily got back on his bike, and started pedaling up the lane, hoping Edd wouldn't turn and spot him on his way back to the cul-de-sac.

He spent the rest of the evening thinking way too much into the overheard conversation, reading into things and causing anxiety alongside raised hopes. He only shelved his thoughts when he realized they had transformed into musings of what it would feel like to run his tongue against that gap as they made out.


	2. Cold Night, Warm Disclosure

Monday, in biology class, Kevin went to sneak a glance at Double D and ended up catching his eye. Edd startled just like Kevin had done every time Edd would catch him staring. Both boys blushed.

Kevin was about to look back over to his notes when Edd leaned in closer. It was just a small movement, but Kevin became nervous and felt a lump in his throat. He tried to swallow it down so he could ask the dork what he was up to, when Edd beat him to the punch.

"Still down for testing out my new telescope tonight?" Edd whispered.

"Of course!"

"Splendid! It's supposed to get quite cold tonight, so remember to bundle up! I'll bring an extra blanket just in case."

Kevin just gapes at him and nods, feeling a bit foolish at his inability to form words.

His mind was too busy thinking about the cliché stargazing scenario involving cozying up underneath a blanket. This was bad enough, but Kevin was also struggling with keeping his mind in that daydream, since it started to drift into more inappropriate territory, involving wandering hands and the press of chapped lips.

Luckily, Edd had already turned away to continue taking notes, something Kevin should be doing now instead of wondering if Edd will let him kiss him under the stars tonight.

. . . . . . .

That evening, Kevin realized he was anxiously waiting for 9:30 to roll around, about 2 hours ahead of schedule. So, he decided to get a head starts on his extra credit assignment, reading and writing a draft on meteors. It didn't take long for him to realize how dull he found meteors and astronomy in general. He was completely bored.

When 9 o'clock hit, Kevin was printing off his paper and had started getting dressed, waiting for the tea to brew so he can pour it into a thermos.

He thought about how cold it would be that night, and how unenthused he was towards the meteor shower itself and messing around with a telescope. He was not looking forward to the actual assignment and might not have done it if he was going by himself. But staring at rocks burning through the atmosphere seemed worth it whenever Kevin remembered how happy Edd was when he agreed to go with him.

_Besides, it's a chance to hang out with Double D and possibly get closer to him. Won't knock that, ever._

Kevin knew he was early, but he decided to go ahead and head over to Edd's, hoping Edd wouldn't mind. As soon as he left the house, and the winter air brushed past his face, he immediately cursed the heavens. _Fuck stargazing. It's far too cold for this shit. This is gonna suck balls. Celestial gas balls. _

He chuckled at his own lame joke as he jogged across the street, hoping he wouldn't have to wait out in the cold for too long. As he hurried up the Vincents' driveway, he saw Edd struggling to lock up his house without dropping all his baggage. Kevin quickly jogged up towards him, taking a lunch box and what he assumed was the telescope bag, as Edd locked the door.

"I can carry that." Edd said, reaching for the bag.

"I know, but I figure it's the least I can do since you're helping me get these bonus points."

Edd simply nodded and led the way down the driveway.

As they made their way to the clearing, Edd started discussing different astronomical topics for that night. Kevin wasn't sure what Edd meant by the moon being "waxing gibbous" or whatever the phrase was, but apparently Kevin would be able to see a few craters on the moon with the telescope because of it. Also, something about a filtered flashlight. Kevin tried to keep up in the conversation but didn't really feel like asking any questions.

_The dork sounds like he's got this, so I'mma just trust him. Just need to get my extra credit and maybe some alone time with him. That's all. He can manage the rest._

When they entered the woods, Kevin was a bit freaked out. Edd seemed unphased by venturing in the dark within a wooded area. As they continued to trek through the forest, Kevin nervously asked, "About how far is the clearing?"

"Oh, from here, I'm not sure. But from the edge of the woods, about 50 yards."

_Almost the width of a football field. So we're probably over halfway there. Just got to suck it up for a bit longer._

Suddenly, Kevin could see the path opening up in front of them, with trees becoming sparser. He breathed a sigh of relief as they step into the edge of the clearing.

Edd dropped his bookbag and lunchbox on the ground and handed the flashlight over to Kevin. Kevin watched as Edd laid out a tarp on the ground, underneath a large oak tree at the edge of the clearing. He maneuvered the light to wherever Edd needed it as he set up the telescope.

When Edd was done, he stood back and made subtle jazz hands at the telescope while quietly saying "Ta-da!"

Kevin snickered. "So, we good to look at moon craters now?"

"Not quite."

"Not quite?"

Edd took the flashlight from Kevin and turned it off. "We need to let our eyes adjust to the dark for a bit. Then we can break in the new telescope!"

Edd bounced on his heels in excitement, before shivering. Kevin quickly lowered his own bag to the ground and pulled out the thermos. He asked Edd to turn the flashlight back on momentarily as he carefully poured a cup of tea for Edd, handing it over.

"Here, warm yourself with this," Kevin said quietly before pouring his own cup.

Edd took the cup from him, cradling it in his hands as soon as he put the flashlight back down. "This is mighty thoughtful of you. I only thought to pack water and snack foods," he said, nodding his head to the lunchbox propped up against the telescope.

"Hey, when you said to bundle up, I wasn't going to take any chances. I hate the cold."

Edd deflated a little. "Oh. I'm sorry you-"

"Woah. Stop. I did not mean it like that. I'm actually glad I'm here with you." Kevin realized his mouth responded without permission, and he quickly backtracked. "Besides… Gotta do that extra credit assignment in case I can't maintain my A with the next exam."

"Ah. I see." Edd blew at the steam rising from his tea. "If you want to, you can come over to study for the next exam."

Kevin strained to look at Edd in the dark, the light from the moon not doing much to illuminate the area under the oak tree. It appeared that Edd was peering at him from over the top of his cup, studying him for his reaction. "Choice. I will definitely take you up on that offer."

Kevin couldn't tell what kind of face Edd made. He could only hear him taking a sip of tea and sighing contently. Kevin took a sip himself, trying to stop his mouth from doing something stupid, like asking Edd out or kissing him.

When they finished the tea Edd announced that it was time to break in the telescope. He set it up to look at the moon.

"It's not quite adjusted all the way, but I think that I'm going to let you finish that so you can get the full telescope experience."

Kevin grimaced. "Let me apologize in advance for not succeeding."

Edd, laughing, said, "It's most of the way done already, so you should be fine. I just want you to see that moment when everything comes together."

Kevin thought it was kinda touching that Edd was allowing him the first clear viewing through the new telescope. _Well, touching in a nerd way, at least._ He looked through the eyepiece, seeing a not quite complete clear image of the moon at the top half of his view. He adjusted the lenses a little in each direction, trying to find the perfect focus. When he finally had it, he moved the entire telescope up slightly, to get the entire moon in view. He quickly stepped back and looked at Edd in terror.

"I think I broke it."

"W-what!? But how!?"

"The moon was a bit too high, couldn't see all of it, so I moved it up a little…"

Edd quirked an eyebrow at him. "I don't see how-"

"It looked as though the moon just fell from the sky, and now all I can see is black."

Edd looked back down at the eyepiece and started laughing. "Oh. That's my fault. It's a refractor telescope. You're seeing a mirror image. So, if you want the image to move up, you'll have to move the telescope down, only slightly."

Kevin let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "That's… that sounds confusing."

Edd shrugged. "Yes. A bit. But I have a diagonal that will make everything right side up. I didn't even think to set it up. I'm sorry."

"It's cool, dork. As long as I didn't break anything," Kevin laughed, hoping what Edd was saying was true.

Kevin watched as Edd removed the eyepiece from the telescope and pulled out what looked like a bent eyepiece from the bag. As he worked, a lock of hair to slip out from his hat, prompting him to awkwardly blow at it from the corner of his mouth. Kevin snickered and reached over, tucking the hair behind Edd's ear.

Edd froze in place for a moment, as did Kevin, his fingertips still gently against Edd's earlobe. He snatched his hand away. As he tried to force out an apology, Edd quietly said, "Thank you."

Kevin, his mouth still in momentum, replied with, "Sorry." Quickly trying to cover his folly, he added, "…but, um… I just wanted to… I mean… no, never mind."

Kevin groaned in frustration, wishing he could stop being so freaking awkward around Edd all the time.

"You wanted to what?"

_Guess I'm not being let off the hook._

Kevin sighed and said, "I just wanted to know why you wanted me to try out your new telescope with you instead of one of the other Eds."

Edd didn't respond as he finished assembling the eyepiece. Once finished, he stood up and took a step to the side, turning towards Kevin. There were a few seconds of silence before he said, "I figured you were going to do the extra credit and decided I might as well break in the telescope that same night."

"But that still doesn't explain why you would-"

"Because I had ulterior motives."

"Ulterior motives?" Kevin said incredulously.

"Yes, I've noticed you staring at me for quite some time now."

"Oh no." Kevin said quietly, suddenly wishing for death.

Edd raised his hands in defense. "No, no, no. I'm not… It's…" He sighed. "To be honest, I've only noticed you staring because I, too, was staring quite a bit myself."

Kevin negates his wish for death, hoping to hear where this may go.

Edd steps closer, mumbling a bit, as if he was struggling to find his words. Eventually he says, "I'm sorry, but I think this might be easier to just do than to say…"

Kevin was about to ask him to repeat that, when Edd leans over and presses his lips to Kevin's cheek. He lingers for a moment, before slowly pulling away.

Kevin suddenly felt a bit too warm considering the weather. "W-what was that about?"

He can see Edd stiffen in place, looking back at him completely dumbfounded. "I-I-I… I'm so sorry. I just thought that all the staring… I thought you might have felt the same as me… I didn't realize-"

Kevin cuts him off with a sudden kiss to the lips.

He fought against months of pining to not press the situation, pulling back after a couple of seconds. His lips had barely left Edd's when Edd grabbed him by the lapel of his coat, pulling him back in for another kiss.

Kevin immediately wraps his arms around Edd, squeezing him. This sudden change in Edd's typically professional demeanor was a little dizzying for Kevin, but he wasn't going to dwell on it or even question it for a second.

Instead, he gently kept kissing Edd back. Eventually, he worked up the nerve to swipe his tongue against Edd's bottom lip. Edd froze for a second before opening his mouth. Kevin immediately sought to deepen the kiss, when he heard a strange ringing sound and felt a vibration in Edd's jacket. His tongue had barely brushed against Edd's when Edd pushed himself back from Kevin. He pulls his phone, the ringing sound becoming louder, and fumbles to shut off the alarm.

"Guess it's time to start looking for those shooting stars."

Kevin decidedly ignores that statement and steps closer to Edd, placing a hand against one cheek as he kisses him again.

Edd takes a few more steps back, bumping up against the tree, as Kevin slowly followed him. "Kevin! What about your extra credit assignment!?"

"Did you want to stop kissing?"

"Well, no, not really… but…"

Edd trails off as Kevin starts kissing him along his jawline, slowly running his hands across Edd's sides and back, pulling him away from the tree and up against himself. Edd's body feels almost limp as he is easily moves into this more preferable position. He tilts his head back allowing more access for Kevin as he wraps his own arms around Kevin's back.

Kevin licked a long broad stripe up Edd's neck, causing him to shiver. Kevin started to line a trail of kisses back towards Edd's mouth, Edd replying hungrily as soon as Kevin's lips reached their destination.

Kevin finally, _finally_, got to know for certain what it was like to feel Edd's tongue against his. He sighed with satisfaction just before Edd pulls back again. It wasn't enough to move away from Kevin, but just enough to break the kiss.

"Sorry… I just… I just needed to catch my breath," Edd says, breathing deeply and looking away from Kevin, towards the night sky.

Kevin, realizing his own rapid heart rate and shallow breathing, chuckles. "Same." He takes a few steadying breaths before placing a hand on Edd's face, slowly moving it back to face him. Once they lock eyes, Kevin says, "So I know we kinda did this backwards… but… would you be willing to go out on a date with me this weekend?"

Edd gasps, then looks distractedly back and forth between Kevin and something behind him, not answering Kevin's question.

Kevin turns his head and sees a speck of light streak across the sky.

Another appears as he turns back to Edd, who's rapped in the sight.

Kevin maneuvers to stand next to Edd, holding his hands as the stars kept falling. He felt Edd squeeze his hand before he felt Edd's breath ghost past his ear, whispering, "I'll be free on Saturday, provided you get your extra credit done first."

Kevin grinned and squeezed his hand back, before pulling out his phone to take a few pictures for his assignment. Edd did the same. Once both boys managed to get a few decent enough photos, Kevin pocketed his phone and leaned over to Edd.

"I'll have you know that I'm now officially done with the assignment. Just have to turn it in. Sooo… I guess we're going on a date this weekend!"

Kevin could see Edd blushing furiously as he finished scrolling through his meteor pictures. Edd grinned as he locked his phone and look back up at the sky. "I look forward to it."

Kevin looked away from Edd, towards the night sky, streaked with the last few faded beams of light as the meteor shower ended.

_I guess stargazing isn't that bad after all._

-the end-


End file.
